Life without pets? Unimaginable!

I can’t imagine life without my pets. They are our family, which is important to us (my husband and I) because we have no other family in the area. And without children, they do fill that niche as well.

My dogs go to work with me, so they are with me all the time and take up a huge amount of our discretionary income (Poppy has Cushing’s disease and large vet bills) as well as time. We keep them in mind when planning activities and vacations. They are a big part of our lives, and I can’t imagine what life would look like without them. I envision coming home and not being greeted by happy barking, wagging tails and a cat (or two) winding between my legs – and it makes me sad.

Recently, I’ve heard from several people while out at our booths at various events, that they are “done” with pets. Their last one died, and they have no plans to replace him. Sometimes the reason is they are at a point in their lives where they want to travel more (yes, having a pet does tie you down a bit). A few have said that it was just too hard emotionally to lose them. I get that in one way – of course it hurts and there is a lot of grief. But the other choice is not to have experienced the love they give, and I wouldn’t want to miss out on that. I think a life that hasn’t felt the kind of unconditional love that only a pet can give is much poorer for having missed out on that.

I do sometimes worry about my friends who only have a single pet. When that animal goes, it leaves a huge void. Especially if the animal was sick towards the end and needed special treatment so that there is even more attention and time spent focused on the pet. When that ends, it’s much more noticeable. At least by having several animals (we’re within the legal limits) there is always someone needing or wanting some attention and willing to give some love.

Many of the people who made the comment were older and not only did they say they couldn’t go through the sadness of losing another pet, but they were worried about what would happen to the animal if they went first. It is unfortunate that the fear of the future would inhibit someone, especially someone who might otherwise be living on their own and feeling isolated, from enjoying the benefits of this type of companionship.

Of course, we should do some planning and maybe have an arrangement with a friend for the future care of our animals so we can rest easy. But there is always the shelter to help out – and that’s our job. We all know that having a pet provides many health benefits, including a longer lifespan for humans. Sure, having a pet is some work, but it is just that – having a daily responsibility that can give some seniors a sense of purpose and of being needed. Isn’t that what we all crave in our lives? Feeling needed and having a purpose?

Most importantly, there are animals literally dying because they don’t have a home, and here are good people, often lonely, with empty homes. Hmmm, I see a win-win solution. Please don’t give up on having an animal in your life. It will enrich it a hundred fold.